Music-leaf turner.



P. POLAN.

MUSIC LEAF TURNER.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 25, 1911.

Patented J an. 30, 1912.

3 SHEBTS-SHBET 1.

WITNESSES INVENTOR cnLuMBIA PLANOGRAPH 60.. \\A$HINGTON. n c.

P. FOLAN. MUSIC LEAF TURNER.

APPLIOATIGN FILED APR. 25, 1911.

1 ,O1'6,002, Patented Jan. 30, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSE INVENTOR E GE/ .223%) jg v2 '6'.

P. FOLAN.

MUSIC LEAP TURNER.

I APPLICATION FILED APR.25, 1911. 1,01 6,00% I Patented Jan. 30, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

WITNESSES INVENTOR COLUMBIA Punouiumn co., WASHINGTON, D. c.

PETER FOLAN, OF GLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA.

MUSIC-LEAF TURNER.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented J an. 30,1912.

Application filed April 25, 1911. Serial No. 623,134.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PETER FOLAN, a citi- Zen of the United States of America, residing at Clarksburg, in the county of Harrison and State of Vest Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Music-Leaf Turners, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to music leaf turners, and the objects of my invention are to provide a novel device for easily and quickly turning sheets of music whereby a musician is relieved of all responsibility of turning and properly positioning a piece ,of music whereby the music can be properly interpreted without interruption, and to. furnish a music leaf turning device with positive and reliable means in a manner as will be hereinafter set forth for shifting sheets of music without injuring the same or causing the music to becomeaccidentally displaced.

Further objects of the invention are to provide a music leaf turning device that can be advantageously used in connection with a piano or organ, and to accomplish the above results by a mechanical construction that is simple, durable and highly efiicient for the purposes for which it is intended.

With the above and other objects inview, the invention consists of the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter specifically described and then claimed, and reference will now be had to the drawings, wherein there is illustrated a preferred embodiment of the invention, but it is to be understood that the structural elements thereof are susceptible to such changes as fall within the scope of the appended claim.

In the drawingsFigure 1 is a perspective view of a piano provided with the music leaf turning device, Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a treadle action forming part of the device, Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the same, Fig. 4 is an enlarged front elevation of the piano board, Fig. 5 is a rear elevation of the same, Fig. 6 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the piano board, Fig. 7 is an lenlarged end view of a portion of the same,

partly shown in section, Fig. 8 is an elevation of one of the turning arms, Fig. 9 is a plan of the same, Fig. 10 is an end view of the same, Fig. 11 is a perspective view of a portion of an inner turning arm, Fig. 12 is a similar view of a portion of an Outer turning arm, and Fig. 13 is an enlarged elevation of a detached turning member.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

The reference numeral 1 denotes a piano board that is positioned-upon the ledge 2 of a piano 3 and this board can be suitably secured to the piano should it be necessary to fix the same. The board 1 adjacent to the upper edge thereof and at a point to.

one side of the center of the board is provided with three longitudinal slots 1 arranged in parallelism. The front side of the board at a point centrally thereof and in proximity to the slots 41 is provided with vertical alining bearings 5, and mounted in said bearings is a vertical shaft 6. Pivotally mounted upon said shaft above each bearing is a set of turning arms, each set being identical in construction.

7 denotes an inner arm having the inner end thereofprovided withjournal barrels 8 for the shaft 6, and the upper edge thereof provided with barrels 9, said barrels being spaced throughout the length of the inner arm 7. Loosely mounted in the barrels 9 is a longitudinal rod 10 and mounted upon said rod adjacent to the barrels 9 are the barrels 11 of a longitudinal clamping strip 12, extending from one end of the arm 7 to the opposite end thereof. The clamping strip -12 is adapted to hold the upper edge of a sheet of music against the arm 7, and said clamping strip is yieldably held through the medium of coiled springs 13 encircling the rod 10, said springs having ends 14 thereof engaging the outer side of the clamping strip 12 and other ends 15 engaging the outer side of the arm 7. The arm 7 adjacent to the barrels 8 is provided with a strap 16, the object of which will presently appear.

17 denotes an outer turning arm having the inner end thereof provided with a single barrel 18 adapted to fit between the barrels 8 of the arm 7 upon the shaft 6. The barrels 8 and 18 are of a sufficient size to provide clearance for the strap 16 between the inner and outer arms, and the outer arm is similar in all respects to the inner arm.

The reference numeral 19 denotes bearings mounted upon the rear side of the board 1 at a point centrally thereof and in proximity to the slots 4. These bearings are of different lengths, the short bearing being arranged at the top of the board and the bearings gradually increasing in length past the lowermost slot 4. Movably mounted in the bearings 19 are sets of turning members corresponding in number to the sets of turning arms, each turning arm having a turning member. The turning members for the outer and inner set of turning arms are generally designated A, B, O, D, E and F, each member comprising a rod 20 having the lower end thereof bent outwardly, as at 21 and the upperend thereof curved rearwardly in a horizontal plane, as at 22 and bent downwardly, as at 23. The rod 20 adjacent to the upper end thereof is provided with an off-set portion 24. The upper curved ends 22 of the turning members are adapted to extend through the slots 4 and engage in the straps 16 of the inner and outer arms 7 and 17 of each set, and the lower bent ends 21 are adapted to extend into slots 25, 26, 27, 28, 29 and 30 provided therefor in a shiftable plate 31 slidably mounted between guides 32 arranged in parallelism upon the back of the piano board 1. The portions 23 are bent to form a curve out of the plane of the portions 20. The off-set portions 24 are connected by retractile springs 33 to a vertical cleat 34 screwed or otherwise connected, as at 35 to the back of the piano board 1. The slots 25 to 30 inclusive are arranged whereby the members A to F inclusive can be independently shifted through the medium of the plate 31, as will appear in the operation of the device to be hereinafter referred to.

36 denotes sheaves revolubly mounted upon the rear side of the piano board 1, and passing over said sheaves is a cable 37 having one end thereof attached to an eye screw 38, carried by one end of the shiftable plate 31 and the opposite end thereof attached to a vertical shaft 39, journaled in an angle bracket 40 and a T-bracket 41, carried by the piano. The angle bracket 40 is located adjacent to the end of the ledge 2 and the T-bracket 41 is carried by one of the feet or legs 42 of the piano. Attached to the shaft 39 and adapted to wind in an opposite direction upon said shaft from the cable 37 is another cable 43, this cable having the end thereof attached to an eye screw 44, carried by the shifting plate 31.

45 denotes a beveled gear wheel mounted upon the shaft 39 adjacent to the T-bracket 41, said beveled gear wheel meshing wit-h a beveled gear wheel 46 mounted upon the shaft 47 journaled in the T-bracket 41 and in the bearings 48 of a base plate 49. The shaft 47 is provided with a longitudinal keyway 50 between the bearings 48, and slidably mounted in said key-way is a key or spline 51 having a handle or projection 52. Loosely mounted upon the shaft 47 between the bearing 48 are ratchet or star wheels 53 and 54 having key or spline-ways 55 into which the ends of the key or spline 51 can be shifted to fix either of the ratchet wheels for rotation with the shaft 47.

56 and 57 denote levers of treadles loosely mounted upon the shaft 47 adjacent to the wheels 53 and 54, eachtreadle having a depending stop or end 58 adapted to engage the base plate 49 and limit the movement of the treadle in one direction. The treadle is limited in the opposite direction by a retractile spring 59 connecting the stop 58 to a lug 60, carried by the base plate 49. Each treadle is provided with a pivoted pawl 61 normally retained in engagement with its ratchet wheel by a flat spring 62, carried by a side extension 63 of the treadle.

As shown in Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive, the treadle 56 has been actuated to swing the sheets of music from the left hand side of the piano to the right hand side thereof. To swing the sheets of music back to their normal position, that is to say, from right to left the key or spline 51 is shifted to fix the ratchet wheel 54 upon the shaft 47, thereby releasing the ratchet wheel 53 and allow ing said ratchet wheel and the treadle 56 to remain inactive during the operation of the shaft 47, ratchet wheel 54 and treadle 57. WVhen the treadle 57 is pushed rearwardly or toward the base of the piano, the ratchet wheel. 54 is moved and thereby partially rotating the shaft 47. The spring 59 of the treadle 57 will restore said treadle to its normal position to obtain a fresh grip upon the ratchet wheel 54, and in consequence of this treadle action, the shaft 47 can be intermittently rotated. When the shaft 47 is partially rotated a similar move ment is imparted to the shaft 39 through the medium of the beveled gear wheels 45 and 46, and the cable 37 is unwound upon the shaft 39 and the cable 43 wound. It is through the medium of these cables that the shiftable plate 31 is moved and the turning member A is the first member to be actuated. As the plate 31 shifts, it moves the lower end 21 of the member A, rotating said members in the bearings 19 and causing the upper end thereof, which engages in the strap 16 of the outer arm 17, to swing said arm from the right hand side of the piano board to the left hand side thereof. The next operation of the treadle action actuates the member B and swings the inner arm 7, the upper set of arms being moved first, then the intermediate set of arms, and then the lower set of arms.- It is to be noted that the outer arms are actuated by the members A, C and E and the inner arms by the members B, D and F. The slots 25 to 30 inclusive of the shiftable plate 31 are of a sufficient length to allow the members A to F inclusive to be actuated in their order, and it is through the medium of the retractile springs 38 that the members A to F inclusive are normally retained under tension as the plate 31 is shifted, whereby the return movement of the plate will release the members and allow the sheets of music to be swung from the left hand side of the piano board to the right hand side. I11 swinging the sheets of music from the left hand side to the right hand side, the me1nber F is the first member released and so on until the member A is released. In swinging the sheets of music from the right hand side to the left hand side, the members A to F inclusive are actuated by the retractile springs 33, the shiftable plate in this in- Copies of this patent may be obtained for thereof extending through said board and engaging the arms of each set, a slotted shiftable plate slidably mounted upon the rear side of said board and adapted to actuate said members in one direction and control the operation of said members in the opposite direction, means carried by the rear side of said board and adapted to actuate said members in the opposite direction, and means adapted to shift said board, said means including shafts, cables attached to said board and adapted to wind upon one of said shafts, ratchet wheels carried by the other of said shafts, treadles adapted to intermittently move said ratchet Wheels, and a key adapted to alternately fix said ratchet wheels relatively to the shafts thereof.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

PETER FOLAN.

Witnesses MAX H. SRoLovrrz, CHRISTINA T. HooD.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents Washington, I). C. 

